StarCraft remaster unveiled, and original SD version becomes free

A long-rumored StarCraft remaster for computers was finally unveiled on Saturday by Blizzard Entertainment, set for launch in "summer 2017." No pricing info was announced, but Blizzard has confirmed quite a few other details about the 4K-friendly release.

For one, it will be preceded by a patch to the 19-year-old StarCraft: Brood War client, and this new 1.18a client will reportedly not change the mechanics of the game. To prove that out, this patched version will still be able to connect to players using the existing 1.16 patch (which came out all the way back in 2009). Among other tweaks, like better compatibility with newer versions of Windows, the new patch will include two important updates: the ability to connect to and play against owners of the upcoming remastered version, and the change to a wholly free product. Once the patch goes live, the original StarCraft Anthology will be free-as-in-beer to download and play in both single- and multiplayer modes.

Blizzard fed the patch's details to the community site TeamLiquid, and these indicate that the patch (and the associated price change) will launch first for Windows players on March 30.

If you pay for the remaster, which will launch on both Mac and PC, you'll get the exact same game logic and content as the original game, only with completely redrawn 2D graphics designed to scale for 4K resolutions and widescreen ratios. Whether the redrawn art will be your cup of tea is another question; early footage includes some monsters, ships, and buildings that look a little odd when directly compared to the original sprites. The remaster will also fully retouch the assets of the game's six campaigns, complete with new "comic book" intro panels and re-recorded dialogue.